Holiday in Afghanistan
Judging by the reactions of a large number of my students, Canada is not a particularly interesting place. It’s “developed, beautiful and clean”, and that’s about it. Oh yeah, and it’s -40C all year around (”Canada is so cold!”). Forget for a moment that none of these students have ever been to Canada, and that Hangzhou itself isn’t exactly a tropical paradise. Some people even state that the only reason they would ever want to go to Canada is because it would then be easier to get into the US. How touching.
So this is why they actually seem more interested to hear that none of my siblings are in Canada at the moment, either. Telling them that my sister studies fashion design in New York City elicits a sort of “wow, she must be the smartest, she made it to AMERICA!” response. Forgetting their crazy notions of success, I too think what she’s doing is pretty damn cool.
But the bigger reaction is inevitably reserved for when I tell them that, yes, my brother is currently in Afghanistan. At first they just stare blankly, mostly because they don’t understand “Afghanistan” on the first go. But then one of their friends translates it into Chinese for them, and their faces all go wide-eyed and a collective “wahh!” is uttered.
I then get the inevitable “Why did he go there??” questions. I am really tempted to say “Oh, he just needed a holiday”, but I restrain myself and explain that he’s a lieutenant in the Canadian Armed Forces and was sent there for six months as part of the NATO force in Kabul.
Perhaps the funniest question I got asked was “Will you go visit him?”. Somehow, I don’t see that happening because:
1) The Chinese/Afghan border is mostly likely closed to white people
2) Uhhh….Afghanistan is a WAR ZONE
3) I doubt they have hostels on military bases
4) I would likely get kidnapped and be forced to teach Oral English to the Taliban in a Torra Borra cave
5) It would be too expensive (the only one they seemed to understand :)
So hats off to my brother, who is currently living in a place that most likely makes China look like Switzerland. He has to deal with living in one of the poorest countries in the world, not to mention the whole getting shot at and mortared aspect. I would say that, rightly so, his experience has altered my family’s perception on this whole Asia thing. Before it was “Wow! China! We are so proud of you!”. Now it’s more like “China? that’s all you’ve got??? He’s in Afghanistan! Come home and get a real job, stop wasting your life.” Hey, at least he gets bombarded with questions upon returning home now, I can just slip under the radar and avoid the “no, Mao is not still alive” explanations.
So, Carl, if you are reading this (they actually do get internet), good job and come home safe!